المُزَّمِّلِ
- Meccan
- 20 verses
- Surah 73 of 114
Introduction to Surah Al-Muzzammil
Twenty verses, Meccan, seventy-third in the written order, and among the earliest revelations. It is addressed to one man, by a description of his posture rather than by name.
The address
O thou folded in garments! Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night,- (73:1–2)
The instruction that follows is oddly precise and oddly permissive at once: half the night, or a little less, or a little more — and recite the Qur’an slowly and distinctly. Then the reason:
Soon shall We send down to thee a weighty Message. (73:5)
Something heavy is announced before it arrives, and the preparation prescribed for it is not planning or recruitment. It is standing at night. The surah says that the hours of the night are more effective for governing the self and more suitable for speech, and that in the day there is a long occupation with ordinary affairs.
The last verse
The final verse of the surah is far longer than the rest of it and it relaxes the instruction. It says that God knows the Prophet stands nearly two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or a third, and a group of those with him too; that God measures night and day; that He knows they cannot keep count of it; and so they should recite as much of the Qur’an as is easy for them. It gives three reasons why people cannot keep the full measure: some are sick, some are travelling in the land seeking of God’s bounty, and some are fighting in His cause.
The surah opens by asking for most of the night and ends by asking for what is manageable, and the second instruction is presented not as a concession to weakness but as a recognition of circumstances.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيم
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُزَّمِّلُ
Yaw ayyuhal muzzammil
O thou folded in garments!
O thou wrapped up in thy raiment!
قُمِ ٱلَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا
Qumil laila illaa qaleelaa
Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night,-
Keep vigil the night long, save a little –
نِّصْفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا
Nisfahooo awinqus minhu qaleelaa
Half of it,- or a little less,
A half thereof, or abate a little thereof
أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَرْتِيلًا
Aw zid ‘alaihi wa rattilil Qur’aana tarteela
Or a little more; and recite the Qur’an in slow, measured rhythmic tones.
Or add (a little) thereto – and chant the Qur’an in measure,
إِنَّا سَنُلْقِى عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًۭا ثَقِيلًا
Innaa sanulqee ‘alika qawalan saqeelaa
Soon shall We send down to thee a weighty Message.
For we shall charge thee with a word of weight.
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيْلِ هِىَ أَشَدُّ وَطْـًۭٔا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا
Inn naashi’atal laili hiya ashadddu wat anw wa aqwamu qeelaa
Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul), and most suitable for (framing) the Word (of Prayer and Praise).
Lo! the vigil of the night is (a time) when impression is more keen and speech more certain.
إِنَّ لَكَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ سَبْحًۭا طَوِيلًۭا
Inna laka fin nahaari sabhan taweelaa
True, there is for thee by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties:
Lo! thou hast by day a chain of business.
وَٱذْكُرِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًۭا
Wazkuris ma rabbika wa tabattal ilaihi tabteelaa
But keep in remembrance the name of thy Lord and devote thyself to Him whole-heartedly.
So remember the name of thy Lord and devote thyself with a complete devotion –
رَّبُّ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًۭا
Rabbul mashriqi wal maghriibi laaa ilaaha illaa Huwa fattakhizhu wakeelaa
(He is) Lord of the East and the West: there is no god but He: take Him therefore for (thy) Disposer of Affairs.
Lord of the East and the West; there is no Allah save Him; so choose thou Him alone for thy defender –
وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًۭا جَمِيلًۭا
Wasbir ‘alaa maa yaqoo loona wahjurhum hajran jameelaa
And have patience with what they say, and leave them with noble (dignity).
And bear with patience what they utter, and part from them with a fair leave-taking.
وَذَرْنِى وَٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُو۟لِى ٱلنَّعْمَةِ وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلًا
Wa zarnee walmukaz zibeena ulin na’mati wa mahhilhum qaleelaa
And leave Me (alone to deal with) those in possession of the good things of life, who (yet) deny the Truth; and bear with them for a little while.
Leave Me to deal with the deniers, lords of ease and comfort (in this life); and do thou respite them awhile.
إِنَّ لَدَيْنَآ أَنكَالًۭا وَجَحِيمًۭا
Inna ladainaaa ankaalanw wa jaheemaa
With Us are Fetters (to bind them), and a Fire (to burn them),
Lo! with Us are heavy fetters and a raging fire,
وَطَعَامًۭا ذَا غُصَّةٍۢ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمًۭا
Wa ta’aaman zaa ghussa tinw wa’azaaban aleemaa
And a Food that chokes, and a Penalty Grievous.
And food which choketh (the partaker), and a painful doom
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَثِيبًۭا مَّهِيلًا
Yawma tarjuful ardu waljibaalu wa kaanatil jibaalu kaseebam maheelaa
One Day the earth and the mountains will be in violent commotion. And the mountains will be as a heap of sand poured out and flowing down.
On the day when the earth and the hills rock, and the hills become a heap of running sand.
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًۭا شَٰهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًۭا
Innaa arsalnaaa ilaikum rasoolan shahidan ‘alikum kamaaa arsalnaaa ilaa Fir’awna Rasoolna
We have sent to you, (O men!) a messenger, to be a witness concerning you, even as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh.
Lo! We have sent unto you a messenger as witness against you, even as We sent unto Pharaoh a messenger.
فَعَصَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَٰهُ أَخْذًۭا وَبِيلًۭا
Fa’asaa Fir’awnur Rasoola fa akhaznaahu akhzanw wabeelaa
But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger; so We seized him with a heavy Punishment.
But Pharaoh rebelled against the messenger, whereupon We seized him with no gentle grip.
فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْمًۭا يَجْعَلُ ٱلْوِلْدَٰنَ شِيبًا
Fakaifa tattaqoona in kafartum yawmany yaj’alul wildaana sheeba
Then how shall ye, if ye deny (Allah), guard yourselves against a Day that will make children hoary-headed?-
Then how, if ye disbelieve, will ye protect yourselves upon the day which will turn children grey,
ٱلسَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرٌۢ بِهِۦ ۚ كَانَ وَعْدُهُۥ مَفْعُولًا
Assamaaa’u munfatirum bih; kaana wa’duhoo maf’oola
Whereon the sky will be cleft asunder? His Promise needs must be accomplished.
The very heaven being then rent asunder. His promise is to be fulfilled.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذْكِرَةٌۭ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًا
Inna haazihee tazkiratun fa man shaaa’at takhaza ilaa Rabbihee sabeelaa
Verily this is an Admonition: therefore, whoso will, let him take a (straight) path to his Lord!
Lo! This is a Reminder. Let him who will, then, choose a way unto his Lord.
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًۭا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًۭا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًۭا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۢ
Inna Rabbaka ya’lamu annaka taqoomu adnaa min sulusa yil laili wa nisfahoo wa sulusahoo wa taaa’ifatum minal lazeena ma’ak; wal laahu yuqaddirul laila wanna haar; ‘alima al lan tuhsoohu fataaba ‘alaikum faqra’oo maa tayassara minal quraan; ‘alima an sa yakoonu minkum mardaa wa aakharoona yadriboona fil ardi yabtaghoona min fadlil laahi wa aakharoona yuqaatiloona fee sabeelil laahi faqra’oo ma tayassara minhu wa aqeemus salaata wa aatuz zakaata wa aqridul laaha qardan hasanaa; wa maa tuqadimoo li anfusikum min khairin tajidoohu ‘indal laahi huwa khayranw wa a’zama ajraa; wastaghfirul laahaa innal laaha ghafoorur raheem.
Thy Lord doth know that thou standest forth (to prayer) nigh two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of the night, and so doth a party of those with thee. But Allah doth appoint night and day in due measure He knoweth that ye are unable to keep count thereof. So He hath turned to you (in mercy): read ye, therefore, of the Qur’an as much as may be easy for you. He knoweth that there may be (some) among you in ill-health; others travelling through the land, seeking of Allah’s bounty; yet others fighting in Allah’s Cause, read ye, therefore, as much of the Qur’an as may be easy (for you); and establish regular Prayer and give regular Charity; and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan. And whatever good ye send forth for your souls ye shall find it in Allah’s Presence,- yea, better and greater, in Reward and seek ye the Grace of Allah: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Lo! thy Lord knoweth how thou keepest vigil sometimes nearly two-thirds of the night, or (sometimes) half or a third thereof, as do a party of those with thee. Allah measureth the night and the day. He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite, then, of the Qur’an that which is easy for you. He knoweth that there are sick folk among you, while others travel in the land in search of Allah’s bounty, and others (still) are fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite of it that which is easy (for you), and establish worship and pay the poor-due, and (so) lend unto Allah a goodly loan. Whatsoever good ye send before you for your souls, ye will find it with Allah, better and greater in the recompense. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
Sources. Arabic text: Tanzil Uthmani edition. Translations: Abdullah Yusuf Ali (original edition, 1934–1938) and Marmaduke Pickthall (1930), both in the public domain. Any introduction above is original writing and is not part of any translation.